Zborovy: Romanesque Church, Hillfort and Monuments

Zborovy brings together a Romanesque church, traces of historic fortifications and other local monuments in a landscape shaped by pastures. These themes complement one another but represent different sides of the place: architectural history, earlier fortifications and landscape.

Church of St John the Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist was originally built as a Romanesque rotunda around the middle of the 13th century. A rotunda is a circular building; here, the term refers to the church’s original form. In addition to the church, the protected complex includes a mortuary chapel, a bell tower and the associated grounds. The protection therefore covers several components, not just the church building.

One surviving architectural feature is on the north wall of the presbytery, or chancel: above the roof of the sacristy is an original Romanesque window with a semicircular arch. The early building style and this window offer two specific points of reference for the church’s Romanesque history. Visitors interested in historic architecture can therefore look at both the overall form and a single surviving detail.

Other monuments in the village

Local monuments include a statue of St John of Nepomuk. Another is the wayside shrine or column shrine known as “Zborovy boží muka na návsi”. This carefully crafted column shrine is made of locally sourced coarse-grained granite and assembled from four pieces. Its material and construction give the monument a distinctive character alongside the church and its architecture.

The village’s history is therefore not limited to a single building. The church represents older religious architecture, while the statue and column shrine illustrate other forms of the local heritage. For a trip focused on cultural history, these offer different points of interest without needing to be grouped into a single building or period of origin.

Hrádek and traces of earlier fortifications

About 1 km northeast of Zborovy, on the wooded Hrádek hill, is a former Slavic hillfort. Stone ramparts remain, dating approximately to the 10th century. An early medieval castle later stood on the site. Two historical features can therefore be distinguished in the same place: the ramparts of the Slavic hillfort and the later castle.

When planning your visit, it is useful to distinguish the hill’s location from the length of the excursion. Hrádek is about 1 km northeast of Zborovy; the “Zborovy and Hrádek Hillfort” excursion is approximately 4 km long and involves an elevation gain of less than 50 m. If you plan this excursion, check trail conditions before your visit. The figures for distance and elevation gain describe the route, not its current condition.

Landscape and orientation

Zborovy lies in a broad valley. A stream runs along the road from Pačejov to Plánice. The surrounding area consists mainly of pastures, with occasional copses or groups of shrubs. This gives the area a different focus from its historic buildings and traces of fortifications: here, the open rural landscape shapes the surroundings.

For finding your way around the wider region, Zborovy is near Highway 22, which connects Klatovy, Horažďovice and Strakonice. The road connection and local sights help answer two separate questions: where Zborovy is geographically and which cultural or landscape themes might shape a stay there. You can therefore combine your search for accommodation with a specific interest in the Romanesque church, the traces at Hrádek or the rural surroundings.

If you are mainly looking for historic architecture on your trip, the church offers specific points of interest in its original rotunda form and Romanesque window. Hrádek provides a different focus, with its surviving ramparts and the later castle on the same site. The pastures and valley add a landscape dimension to these historical points of interest. This can help you decide which aspects of Zborovy suit your planned stay.

Discover more destinations: Mokrosuky, Ujčín, Plánice, Dolany, Šimanov, Lesisov, Kejnice, Tužice.

For the broader travel overview: Klatovy District.